Starting Again
by OFFICIALImogenAlreadyPart1AND2
Summary: RyRo. Different universe. X3 didn't happen. X1 and X2 did, with some changes that will be brought up. Pyro and Rogue are reunited under bad circumstances. How are they going to handle this new life? Not good at summaries. Please read and review guys.
1. Chapter 1

_**AU Takes things from the movies, but should not be expected to be like any of the movies fully. Events of X1 & X2 did occur with some slight changes that will be addressed. X3 did not happen. DISCLAIMER I own nothing, none of the characters places anything.**_  
 _ **Mutants are being freed after years of a secret group of antimutant radicals had been holding them captive. It was supposed to be a "mutant prison" much like the idea in DoFP. They claimed to only take mutant criminals, and contain them. They were shown as a high tech safe alternative for mutants and humans. However, they were taking every mutant they could without drawing attention to it.**_

 __

 **ROGUE'S P.O.V.**

"You'll be okay, " a quiet calming voice came from next to me. I turned towards the voice to see a surprisingly beautiful woman. She sat up and smiled at me. "What's your name?"  
"Rogue," I managed to cough out. Just to speak hurt. I wasn't sure where I was and I had been screaming for quite some time. I just wanted to go home.  
"Hey, I understand, and I'm not going to lie to you. This is not a place you want to be but I've got you. You're not alone. My name's Carol. Come sit with me sweetie."  
I looked her up and down, she had a collar around her neck and each wrist. I was suddenly very aware that I also did. I began to panic even more.  
"I just want to go home," I sobbed out as I began to pull at the collar. I was met with an overwhelming shock. I fell to my knees in pain. Before I could stop her Carol had rushed to my side and grabbed me. "No! Don't touch me!" I screamed and began trying to pull away.  
"Wow,wow, wait, I promise I won't hurt you!"  
"I'll hurt you! You can't touch me! I don't want to hurt you! Please!"  
Carol looked at me confused, then a sad smile danced across her face, " Your powers keep you from touching?" I nodded in response, begining to calm down now that I was away from her and the pain had subsided. She pointed to the collar around her neck, " This stops that. I haven't figured out how, or even how to break it or get it off. Do you remember how you got here?"  
I took a deep breath, "I had left home, I was just walking down the street..I- I don't remember anything else. Nothing but waking up and not being able to see. I started screaming, trying to get my gloves off, but-" I looked down, my gloves were gone, my clothes were gone. I was in some kind of uniform. I looked at Carol to see she was in the same one. The sad smile still on her face.  
"Yeah, I woke up to the same thing. It's all confusing. I wish I could give you the answers,but all I can do is be here for you. Now, Rogue, is it? I will be honest, this place is scary. They take us, they test on us. We're nothing more than animals here. I'm not saying this to scare you, sweetie, I'm trying to prepare you. Do not fight. I know you're going to want to, but that will make it worse. Trust me, I tried. Took me a long time to learn that lesson."  
"Wait, how long have you been here?"  
"Longer than I can keep up with. I know it's been a few months at the least."  
We sat in silence for a moment. Finally, I looked around to see there were others all around us in cells like ours. "Is this a prison?"  
"I think so. I think this is THE prison. You know? The one that was supposed to be so safe? The one that was where mutants or others with powers were supposed to go when they broke laws. I knew it sounded too good to be true when they announced it." Carol looked broken. She stood and walked back to the cot she was on when she had first spoke to me. She was taller than me, lean and in good shape. Her long blonde hair looked unkempt. I'm sure in a better situation Carol was easily the most beautiful woman in a room. I stood up, wiping my hands on my legs and took in the ugly outfit I was in. It was a khaki color jumpsuit. I definitly looked like a prisoner.

Over the next few weeks Carol and I grew close. She wasn't lying about being animals to these people. We never saw their faces, they made sure of that. Lights would go out, and when they came back on someone would be gone. They would go out again and the person would be back. Sometimes the lights didn't go out again. Sometimes people didn't come back. The first time they took Carol I cried. I felt weak and alone. I wasn't even able to fight. After they brought her back we hugged and didn't let go for what felt like ages. In the most messed up events of my life, I had found a wonderful friend. We all became friends, no matter our beliefs. I found myself speaking to people I had fought against. I found myself, although terrified, trying to calm and reassure the other mutants around me, much like Carol had done for me when I first came.  
The first time they took me for tests, against Carol's advice, I tried to fight. I was met with abuse. I was stunned and beat until I could no longer fight, then cuffed to an examination table. They took blood, saliva, brought in who they called a doctor to do a physical. When I was back in my cell Carol held me as I cried myself to sleep. After that I became a favorite. I learned quickly not to fight, just as Carol had tried to warn me. They began to experiment using my mutation. That was the worst. I would come back with flashes of memories of other people. The day I had a memory of myself was the day I broke. I had never seen who I was draining. They kept me from that. This time there was no avoiding it though. The person I had touched was my friend. That meant they had her. They had Jubilee.  
She was in the cell next to Carol and me. Roomed with a pretty girl called Paint. Jubilee informed me that everyone at the school thought I had just left for the cure, including Logan. That is the day I realized, no one was looking for me because no one knew to look for me.


	2. Chapter 2

**Pyro's P.O.V.**

I was pissed. I did not know where I was, or who had me, but they were going to pay. The old me would have been screaming, cursing, trying to fight, but the new me, the older me, was building that anger. I stayed silent, calmly taking in everything I could. There was something over my head keeping me from seeing. There was a stinging in my neck which means that's how whoever got me managed to, well, get me. There was something around my neck, and my wrists were bound. My flame thrower was clearly gone. I moved my legs, shackled. I wasn't doing anything illegal when I got caught. Then again I am wanted. I'm not sloppy though, so how the fuck did I get caught. I took a deep breath, trying to remember what I was doing when they caught me. I went to get a drink. On my way back to the house I was currently squatting at, I rounded a corner and..nothing. That must be when it happened then.  
"So, who got me?" I asked stalely. Nothing. No response. I took a deep breath. We came to a stop and I felt a pain, then black.

When I came to this time I still couldn't see. Something felt different though. The air felt dry. I tried to think of a way to get out of this, but without seeing or knowing who had me or where my things were, I have to admit, these assholes had me bested. For now. We came to a stop and I was shoved while also having the object over my head ripped off. I spun, ready to hit, and was met with a door. Clear, see-through, but still a door. I punched it. Nothing to do but continue holding on to this anger while I find a way out of here.

"You keep doing that and they'll come make you stop," came a voice from behind me. I turned to see Avalanche. I scoffed.  
"Thought you had ran."  
"Obviously you thought wrong," he said never looking at me. He was on a cot, looking up at the ceiling. I leaned against the door and slid down, looking at him. I shook my head. I can't believe this.  
"So where are we?" I asked.  
"If you don't know how the fuck should I?" he asked monotone.  
"I'm still your superior,"I spat.  
He laughed, "You think? That's hilarious. You'll learn soon. We're all trash here."  
"Lance, stop. He was just brought in. You remember how that is," came a voice from my left. I turned to see a tall blonde woman sitting on a cot, tears staining her face. I looked passed her to see a fimiliar face. "Jubilee?"  
She was far from the overly bubbly girl I remember. She gave me a half smile before turning away. I looked from Jubilee to the blonde she shared a room with then to the blonde in the cell between us. I then looked at Avalanche, then to my right at the guys in the cell next to us. Then I looked down at my legs. "WHO THE FUCK PUT THESE ON ME?!"  
Avalanche laughed harder, "Come on, _Boss_ , you can't figure that out?"  
"You mean to tell me, I'm kidnapped, knocked out, and undressed?" I was more than pissed now. "And what the fuck is this around my neck, and your neck? Where is my fucking flamethrower, and what the fuck is going-" the lights went out. I fell silent. Everyone did. There wasn't a single noise. I ran my hands through my hair. I needed to stay calm if I was going to get out of here. After a few minutes the lights came back on. I could hear the blonde next to us talking quietly. I turned to look at her, she was holding someone. Rocking, crying.  
"It's okay. It's okay. You're back now. You're safe for a few days now," she said as she rocked. She had her back to me now, clearly holding someone in her lap, rocking them, comforting them.  
"What the fuck is going on?" I said quietly, looking back to Avalanche.  
"They took the girl for testing. Is what they do. They keep us. They test on us. You fight, you suffer. Sometimes we come back, sometimes we don't. In here there is no sides except prisoner and masters."  
I stood up, looked around, there were four cells on this wall, and four on the other. Eight cells total, two people in each cell. Sixteen mutants in here. There's obviously some reason they haven't been able to escape. Clearly I won't be able to escape on my own.  
"So these things around our necks and wrists-"  
"They keep us from using our powers," Avalanche finished.  
"So is this where you've been the entire time?"  
He nodded, "I went out for a walk, woke up here."  
"It's been a month," I said, amazed.  
He nodded his head towards the guys in the cell next to us, "Remy there has been here since about two days after me. Proudstar has been here since about a week and a half before me," he turned his head and nodded across from us, "Blink has been here for two days, Polaris got here the same day I did," he again turned his head and nodded towards our other side where the blonde woman was comforting someone. "Jubilee has been here two months, Paint from two months, Carol here for what we think is about five, and Rogue for three."  
My eyes went wide, did he say Rogue? I turned to look. Is that who the blonde is holding?  
I went over to the wall dividing our cells and squatted down, "Rogue?"  
Carol looked at me over her shoulder, "You know her?"  
I nodded, I did at least. My heart was pounding. I heard a little movement and saw Jubille sitting up, looking at me. "You really think she wants to see you?" Jubilee spat. It seemed to take all of her energy to talk, yet here she was using that energy to get bitchy with me.  
"Who gives a fuck? What makes you think I care?"  
"The fact you walked over to her. You broke her, Johnny boy. You and your stupid ice friend are the entire reason she's here. If we weren't in here, I'd kick your asses."  
"Oh, fuck that guy, fuck you, fuck Rogue, fuck that entire fucking sch-"  
"John?" a weak voice stopped me in my tracks. Her voice. I dropped my eyes back towards her. She pushed herself out of Carol's lap and looked at me. Her chocolate eyes looking straight into my soul. She had a black eye and cracked lip. She scooted across the floor and sat opposite of me, the only thing seperating us was the wall.  
"You look terrible," I said quietly.  
"Fuck me?" she asked, hurt in her eyes.  
I shook my head, "Nah, I was angry. I'll stick by everything else though."  
"You left me," she said, tears in her eyes.  
"I don't want to have this fight, Rogue."  
She straightened her back up, "I do."  
I shook my head, "Rogue, look, we know what happened. We don't need to relive it."  
"You still love me?" she asked suddenly. My eyes jerked to Jubilee who was on her side, using what little energy she had to stare daggers at me.  
"What did they do to you?" I asked trying to avoid the question.  
"Nothing worse than what they have done before. Do you still love me?"  
I looked back at Avalanche. I turned and looked around at all the other mutants. No one was paying any attention to this. No one but Rogue, Carol, Jubilee, and of course myself. I clinched and unclinched my fists. Took a deep breath then looked back at Rogue, "So what you told everyone?"  
"I'm glad you think I'm everyone, but I am only myself," Jubilee managed to get out.  
"That was a bad one, even for you," I shot at her.  
"No, John, I didn't tell anyone anything. I mean, I told Jubilee after Bobby-" she stopped.  
"After he what?" I asked. Somehow the prick had messed up. Even in this situation that brought me joy.  
"We broke up after you left on the jet," she said silently, looking down then back up at me, "then when we got back to the mansion he told everyone some bullshit. I'm too tired to talk about this." She stood and walked to the cot in her cell,basically dropping on to it.

Days passed, Rogue and I never brought our first conversation back up. I was silently thankful for Carol, who was able to care for Rogue the way I wish I could. The two seemed to hold one another up, as well as everyone around us. The first time they took me back I tried to fight. They beat me. I woke up back in my cell a few hours later. Rogue sitting next to the wall, watching me. When I looked at her she smiled. After I had been here a week, they took Avalanche one day. He never came back. I didn't get another cellmate for another week. When I finally did, I was unlucky enough to know him.  
"Toad," I said nonchalantly.

After a month of being in this hell hole, I was losing hope. I had no clue how to break out. I was going crazy being in a room with Toad, and even crazier looking at Rogue every day. That day in Boston she had drained me she got to see a glimpse into my head. That night at the campsite she had come to talk to me. We fought because she wanted me to admit I loved her. I told her she was stupid. In all honesty, I felt stupid. She was with the Ice Prick and I was so concerned with protecting her that she managed to drain me. You try saving a girl and that's what you get? When I left the jet she tried to get me to stay. I could see it in her eyes, but behind her I could see her boyfriend. I didn't have a future at the mansion. I really didn't have a future with Bobby's girlfriend. There was no reason to stay. Now, here I was waking up to her, occasionally speaking to her. Trying my best not to show that I even cared. Through it all though she tried to make sure I knew she did. I couldn't go back down that road. The lights went out. I closed my eyes. When I opened them I looked to see if they had taken her. I let out a sigh of relief when she was still there. Carol wasn't though.

"Why do you look to see if I'm here everytime, John?"  
"Why do you call me John?"  
"Fine, _Pyro_ , why do you look over here? We have barely spoken since your first day here. You make it clear you want away from me. I thought we were friends, and you proved me wrong, so why look?" she asked in a very pointed tone.  
"Why think I'm looking for you? You that conceited? Maybe I'm just looking around."  
She rolled her eyes, "Whatever. Be a child. I'm not gonna stop trying though."  
I popped my neck, "Why keep trying? What do you want? Be realistic, Rogue! We're never getting out of here unless it's in a body bag. Fuck, even if we do somehow get out what do you expect? We're from two different worlds. You'll go back to that stupid school, and I'll go back to the brotherhood. So why try to be friends?" I was basically yelling. I could feel everyone looking at us. That's when the lights went out again.

This time Rogue and Carol's cell was empty.


	3. Chapter 3

**Rogue's P.O.V.**

They brought me back to my cell and threw me in. I didn't even move. I just stayed on the floor, eyes closed tightly. I don't know who I am. Something is wrong. I feel very, very sick. My head is pounding, my body hurts. I can't even imagine trying to move. When the lights come back on I notice my hair is auburn and silver. This isn't my hair. Wait, yes it is.  
"Rogue!" I hear voices on either side screaming.  
"No," I mummble out except it's not my voice.  
I close my eyes and sleep.

 **Pyro's P.O.V.**

"No?" I repeat, confused, looking at Jubilee. Rogue's out. She looks awful. Then it hits me. I stare at Rogue then look back to Jubilee. "Carol."  
Over the next few weeks, Jubilee and I tried helping Rogue as much as we could. They never put anyone else in a cell with her. They only took her back one more time. The next time they took me back I asked them if they had Rogue kill Carol. I asked if they knew what they had done. They laughed.

Rogue didn't sleep well anymore. Every night I would wake up to her screaming or sobbing. It took a month, but Rogue finally got power back over her body. Occasionally Carol would come out. I had never seen Rogue so broken. She was ready to die. I was ready to kill for her. I guess no matter how far away I tried to push myself, I was always going to run back to her.

I began sleeping on the floor next to the wall. Rogue did the same. After a few days of this, she began sleeping a bit better.

"I have been here for five months, right?" Rogue asked quietly.  
I nodded, "Yeah, five months. I've got two. Toad has one. Jubes has four."  
She huffed, grabbed her hair in her fists, and began crying, "I want to die, Johnny. Why won't they just kill me?"  
I put my hand up on the glass, "Rogue, stop. You didn't do this. We will get through it. All of us."  
She rolled on to her side and put her hand on mine. I hope I'm not lying.  
After a few minutes she was asleep. Most people were. I stretched out, took in a deep breath, and went about trying to figure out how to take these assholes out. The lights went out. I jumped up. I could hear footsteps.  
"You're getting sloppy!" I heard a voice yell. It was Polaris.  
"Shut up," Jubilee said sternly.  
I stayed silent, trying to listen. Polaris wasn't wrong. This wasn't like them. Normally it's like a ghost. Normally, we're all frozen in fear. This was different. Maybe they were disposing of us.

Then I hear someone in Rogue's cell. I lost it. I started banging on the glass.  
"DON'T YOU TOUCH HER. LEAVE HER ALONE. HAVEN'T YOU DONE ENOUGH? COME GET ME. COME GET ME. I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU. TAKE ME. I'LL SHOW YOU POWER. FUCKING TAKE ME. PUT HER DOWN."  
My cell door opened. I charged. Whoever or whatever was in the doorway went down and I went straight for Rogue's cell door. I was going in completely blind. I couldn't see shit, and I didn't want to hit Rogue. I didn't even hear her. My heart was racing. I started swinging. Then black.

 **Rogue's P.O.V.**

I opened my eyes and immediately began to cry. The familiar feeling of the examination table made me sick.  
"I give up," I sobbed, "Please, just kill me, please."  
"Rogue?" I heard John's voice say.  
I clenched my eyes shut as hard as I possibly could. "NO! No I won't! Not him. Not anyone ever again. Don't hurt him. Please, God, please. Just kill me," I was hyperventilating.  
Everything went hazy. I could hear voices. See people. None of it was making sense though. Carol began trying to take over. She was afraid, and that made me even more afraid. I shot up. Fighting. I made my way over to John and tried to break him free. That's when I realized we wasn't cuffed to the examination table. In fact, this wasn't the examination room. I froze, slowly, I began to take in my surroundings. We were in the mansion.


	4. Chapter 4

Pyro's P.O.V.

I must be going crazy because it doesn't even look like Rogue is touching the ground. She's shoved everyone out of her way like she was opening a door and she's coming straight for me. A big part of me wants to laugh. We're rescued by the X-Geeks only for Rogue to flip and try to save the one person in the room not on their side? The bigger part of me is terrified though. Rogue isn't okay. I'm scared she'll never be okay again.  
"Wha- there..We're in the mansion," she says standing next to me, looking around.  
"Yeah, looks like your friends came through this time," I said in a tone angrier than intended.  
She looked at me, tears in her eyes, and fell to her knees. Before I even realized it, I had jumped up from the table and gotten in the floor next to her. My arms carefully wrapped around her so I wouldn't touch her skin. Not that I was afraid to, I've never been afraid of her skin, but because I truly believe if she drains one more person of even a second of their energy she may kill herself.  
"What did they do to you sweet child?" I heard Storm's voice come from behind us.  
"More than you can even imagine," Jubilee whispered in response.

Rogue's P.O.V

Thankfully I hadn't hurt anyone. I drew my arms in around myself as close as possible. I still can't believe we're back. I kept pinching myself silently to make sure this was real. We were following Storm as she led us through the school back to rooms. She had explained that they felt it best to keep us from the other students until we were ready to face all of the questions and stares, and of course once they made sure we could mentally and emotionally handle it. Not everyone from the prison had stayed of course, only a few of us. I was amazed John hadn't ran yet. I looked at him, trying to figure out what his plans were.  
"This is your stop, Jubilee," Storm said as we came to a halt outside of bedroom door.  
They had us on the same hall the teachers slept in, but a bit further down. I don't know if these rooms have ever even seen human contact. Now it's just John and me. Storm's talking, John's nodding. I'm stuck in my head. I think that may be a good thing though. As long as I'm stuck in my mind at least it isn't Carol.  
We stopped again. John's looking at me weird.  
"Be okay?" I manage to catch the end of what he's saying.  
"Huh?" I say not even hiding the fact I wasn't listening.  
"This is my room. I'm staying. Are you going to be okay?"  
I nodded and tried to give a weak smile. I don't want to be by myself. I can see in his face he feels the same way.  
"Alright, Rogue, since you already had a room to yourself with it's own bathroom, we thought it would be best to let you go back to it," Storm said sweetly. Her voice was so calming.  
I turned quickly and began following her, making a mental note of where John's going to be.  
"Ya'll kept my room empty?" I asked shyly.  
She stopped abruptly, spinning to face me. "Of course, child. We hoped you would come back. Everything has been left untouched. Though, I must admit, I believe our dear Logan went in a few times before he left." She gave me a sad smile. Of course he's gone, Marie. He thought you left. Don't feel so offended. She dropped me at my room. As I walked in I was flooded with conflicting emotions. This was my room, my things, my reflection in the mirror. But it wasn't. I threw something over the mirror so I didn't have to see myself. I began ripping all of my pictures down. Carol is terrified. This isn't her life.


	5. Chapter 5

Pyro's P.O.V

As I shut the door behind me I freeze. I spin around quickly and open it back up, watching Rogue speed walk up to Storm. She's okay. I'm okay. We're in the mansion. Slowly, I push the door closed and slide down it. I bring my knees up and bury my head in my hands.  
I'm back in the mansion. The big, strong, scary Pyro is back in the X-Geek mansion, and for what? For her. I've fought these feelings since I first laid eyes on her. But right now, after the time spent in that Hell. I can't leave her side. I need to make sure she's okay first. She needs me. Fuck. I need her.  
I run my hands through my hair then stand up. I flip on a light switch and look around. Bed. Dresser. Night stand. Wait. My eyes go back to the bed. There's clothing and a towel, as well as a note.  
"What the fuck?" I ask myself as I go over to pick it up.

 _These came from your previous belongings. Your things that remained have been put in this room for your comfort. The bathroom is to your right, down the hall, third door on the left. Please, feel at home as you once did._

 _The X-Men_

I dropped the letter back down on to the bed and picked up the clothes. Luckily, they should all still fit. I began quietly putting stuff away when I noticed something on top of the dresser. I dropped the pile of boxers into the top drawer and slid it closed before taking in what was on top of the dresser.  
Pictures. Papers. All from before. I slowly picked on up. It was from not long before I left. I had never seen it though. It clearly wasn't one I had in my old room. It was all of us.  
Kitty, Piotr, Jubilee, Bobby, Rogue, and me. We were all sitting at the island in the kitchen. I remember the night. What I don't remember is Rogue looking at me like that.  
I put it down, and finished putting my things in the dresser. This was too much.  
"I need a shower," I say aloud. I had left out a pair of boxers, baggy grey sweat pants, and a long sleeve grey shirt. I pick them up along with the red towel left on my bed and head towards the bathroom. Making sure to leave my light on as I left the room. Fuck the dark.

Rogue's P.O.V.

I looked around my room. Everything was exactly the same, but it seemed so different with Carol in my head. Burying my face into my pillow, I begin to quietly sob. After a few minutes of this, I'm overcome with anger. I jump up and begin throwing things. Nothing is okay. Nothing will ever be the same. This is so unfair. Unfair to Carol. Unfair to me. I'm moving swiftly through the room tearing things from the walls, knocking everything from its place. Then I turn and punch the mirror I had just thrown one of my shirts over.  
This is what brings me back. Breathing heavily, I stare ahead. I had shattered the mirror. I'm so much stronger than I was before thanks to Carol. I sat in the floor and began to calm myself. I wipe my eyes, clear my throat and stand up.  
"Jeeze, Marie," I whisper to myself as I take in the state of my room. I bend down and begin to clean up. "You're home. You're okay. It's all okay. Here, let's put on some music."  
I walk over to my bed and sit down as I open the drawer next to my bed. Slowly, I pull out my Ipod and hit play. Sitting it down on my bed, I stand and go collect all of the pictures I had thrown to the floor.  
"Tomorrow, I go through and I get rid of every trace of you, Bobby Drake," I say staring at a photo of Bobby with his arm over my shoulder. "Tonight, I just hide it all though."  
With that I put all of my photo's in my bed side table and closed the drawer. With a sigh, I finished cleaning. Luckily, I hadn't broken the TV or any lights. Really, I hadn't broken anything but some picture frames, my mirror, and maybe part of my dresser.  
After I finally finished cleaning I threw myself back on my bed. It feels so great to be on an actual bed. I close my eyes, I'm home. John is here. Jubes is here. We're all okay.  
"On that note, I need a shower," I say to myself as I sit up. I slowly push myself up off the bed and walk into my bathroom, stopping in front of the mirror.  
"Don't break this one dumbass," I say to myself trying to smile. The smile as gone as I take myself in though. My hair is matted and in tangles. My face is paler than before which is saying a lot. I've got bruises here and there. I pull my clothes off and look at myself then begin to cry. I look awful. I look like a stray dog, beaten, neglected. With that thought I get in the shower and turn the water all the way to hot. God it feels amazing.

Pyro's P.O.V.

9:30. I keep checking the clock next to me. I'm going crazy sitting here, especially without any fire or entertainment, but I have to admit, I think I might be afraid to go to sleep.  
I scoff at myself, "Guess Drake got the TV then. I mean, I did pay for half of it. Whatever. Jackass."  
I roll on to my side and stare at the door. I should be asleep. Everyone else is probably asleep. I'm pathetic though. Big, bad Pyro too afraid to sleep. I haven't even turned off my lights. The dark is too much to take right now. I run my hand through my hair, I'm so tired. The shower felt great. I looked rough. I wonder if Rogue is asleep?  
"Stop. Once you're good you're out of here, you understand?" I say to myself as I roll back on to my back. "Stop thinking about her. She doesn't want you."  
I let out a long sigh and close my eyes, "You're from two different worlds anyways."  
My eyes shot open as a kncok came at my door. I froze for a second to make sure I had heard correctly. A softer, second knock came and I jumped up, flinging the door open.  
"Rogue, what's wrong?" I ask as I look her over.  
"I can't sleep," she whispers as she reaches out and grabs my hand.


	6. Chapter 6

**NOTE:** **From here I'll mostly only be writing from Rogue's P.O.V. I've not got a lot of time to write and I don't have much access to a computer so I feel it will just be easier to switch over to this. There may occasionally be something from someone else's POV though.**

After the water started to run cold I decided it was time to get out. I turned the water off and grabbed my towel.  
"It's the little things you take for granted," I whisper to myself. After brushing my hair and teeth and throwing on a gown I try to make myself go to sleep. I can't stand the dark, or the silence though. It's 9:20 and I don't think sleep is coming for me.

' _You know what you want to do, just do it_.' came Carol's voice. I shuttered.  
"I know you're there, but I don't know if I can accept that you're there. I don't know. I'm just crazy," I say aloud.  
' _No, I'm very much here. And as much as you don't like hearing me, I don't like only being a voice in your head. I'm just as upset and afraid as you are. Actually, probably more. So go find your comfort.'_

I sigh and get up. She's right. I do know what I want. I pull my gown off and throw it on to the floor. Old Marie would be having a fit over that. I go straight to the dresser and begin digging, then to my closet and begin another search. After I found everything I was looking for I smiled to myself.  
"I guess it doesn't matter how stupid I look if this works."  
I slowly pull the elbow length black silk gloves on, then I sit on my bed and pull on some grey knee high socks. Next I slip into some black yoga pants, which used to be much tighter but they still fit snug enough. Finally, I pull a thin lavander long sleeve crewneck shirt on. It's still kind of tight,which I'm thankful for. I walk to the bathroom to check myself in the mirror. There isn't an inch of me showing besides my neck and face. With a sad smile I walk out of my bedroom. I know exactly where I'm going.

I stand frozen in front of his door for a second before finally managing a knock. Nothing. One last try before I go. With the second knock I heard him coming.  
"Rogue, what's wrong?" he asks, his eyes alert.  
"I can't sleep," I say in a whisper. I reach out and grab his hand. As usual, he doesn't flinch. He doesn't check to see if I have on gloves. He just takes my hand and pulls me in close as he shuts the door behind me. I wrap my arms around him and bury my face in his chest as I begin to silently cry.  
Without saying a word we pull apart and walk to his bed. He gets under the comforter and sheet; I only get under the comforter. We are at least two feet apart and I have on enough clothes we should be fine, but I don't want to risk hurting him. We both stretch out one hand and lock fingers.

The next morning I wake up to see John still asleep. Why wouldn't he be? Why aren't I? We have no where to be, nothing to do. We have nothing but time and one another.


	7. Short

It's been three weeks since we came back to the mansion. We had a meeting two days after arriving, the Professor, Beast, Storm, and us former prisoners. They left what we do up to us. Stay or go. Integrate with the school or take more time to ourselves. Not many people chose to stay and of those who did not many chose to integrate yet. I don't think any of us were ready to face people, no matter how safe we were. It was suggested maybe John wait a while before he even attempted to roam freely around the school. Of course, this made him want to do it immediately, but my pleas of staying just us didn't go unheard by him. I've spent every night and day in John's room, only going back to my room to clean myself up and change clothes. I do this in the dead on night when John walked off to the bathroom down the hall to shower. There was never an issue of running into people aside from the ones who had been through hell with us and occasionally a teacher. My room had always been on the same floor as the older X-Men's giving me my own bathroom and more privacy. Not because I was special, but because it was safer that way. The floor John was on was one I had never even thought of. Right above the teachers. I had always just assumed the stairs led up to an attict, but the mansion is always surprising me. I guess if there can be secret corridors why not seceret floors?

"So, not that I don't just love what we have going on here," John said with sarcasm, interuppting my thoughts, "but, uh, why do we sleep in this room?"  
I couldn't tell if this was his way of telling me to go away, why do WE sleep in this room? Or if he was asking why THIS room?  
"Where else would we sleep?" I ask quietly, hoping it's the latter.  
"Okay, hear me out," he began. I could feel myself panicking. Slowly I began to float off the bed. A side effect of Carol that I haven't learned to control. John watched with a smirk. "You and I could sleep in your room."  
I sighed as I felt my body lower back to the bed and the panic fade, "Why though? What's wrong with this room?"  
John walked over to the bed and sat next to me. "Look around, there's nothing."  
"There's books. There's you."  
"Rogue, you go back to your room every day, and why? Because all of your stuff is there. Including your own bathroom. We can stay here, hiding in this little hell hole, or I could just load up what little belongings I have and we could just go to your room. Your room with the shower and the TV," he smiled and fell back on to the bed.  
"Could we maybe change it?" I asked feeling small.  
John leaned up on his elbows and raised an eyebrow to me, "Change it?"  
"I don't like being in there lately. It's so overwhelming. It's all Rogue, and Rogue's life, and just I can't handle it. I don't feel the same, and seeing my room Carol feels overwhelmed; I feel guilty. There's just too much bad in it. I need new. I need fresh. I need-"  
"My bed set?" John cut me off.  
"Yes, your bed set," I laughed, "That's a start. Your big, nice, fluffy grey bedset instead of my mismatched one. I just need something new."  
"I promise, somehow we can do that," he smiled, "but for tonight can we just go to your room, watch TV, shower, and sleep in your giant bed?"


End file.
